Electric furnace for the manufacture of condensable products



y R. E. LAMBERT 2,325,521

ELECTRIC FURNACE FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF CONDENSABLE PRODUCTS Filed Jan. 9, 1942, 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR Roz-5 EMILE Llamas/ 7:

Mal-M;

ATTOR'N EYS".

July 27, 1943. R, E. LAMBERT ELECTRIC FURNACE FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF GONDENSABLE PRODUCTS Filed Jan. 9, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

R0651? EMILE LAMBE/EK ATTORNEY".

Patented July 27, 1943 ELECTRIC FURNACE FOR THEMANUFAC- TURE OF CONDENSABLE PRODUCTS Roger Emile Lambert, Paris, France; vested in the Alien Property Custodian Application January 9, 1942, Serial No. 426,21

In France June 24, 1940 5 Claims.

The object of the present invention is a revolving or oscillating furnace, functioning in a reduced atmosphere, for the manufacture of condensable products and especially of metals such as magnesium, by means of chemical reactions, capable of giving rise to an evolution of vapors which can be separated by condensation.

The furnace according to the invention com prises essentially a reaction chamber of a general cylindrical shape, the axis of which is horizontal, mounted so asto be able to revolve or oscillate around the said axis; one or several heating resistances or resistors, consisting respectively of a rod of graphite or equivalent substance mounted in the axis of the reaction chamber or near to this axis, and supported at its ends by electrodes acting as supply mains, and a removable condenser provided with cooling means, for collecting. and condensing the vapors evolved by the reaction.

According to one of the features of the invention, the condenser is composed of a metallic casing mounted so as to be removable, under a cover also removable and connected to the reaction chamber, the said cover bearing cooling means on-its walls (a water tube for in tance). This arrangement permits more particularly an easy substitution of the condenser duringthe treatment of the reacting substances, it being possible to separate the condenser properly speaking from the cover under which it is mounted in view of an ulterior treatment of the condensed product, such as the melting of this prod-. uct. Moreover, the fact of putting simultaneously under a vacuum the cover and the condenser allows the latter to be built with thin sides which condition will ensure a good thermal conductivity.

The construction of the removable condenser, as it has been described above, is particularly advantageous when the condenser is placed axially at one of the ends of the reaction chamber of the furnace, the current being supplied to that end of the furnace through the cover which supports the condenser. It can however also be applied to a condenser disposed laterally in the charging door of the furnace.

In any case, the cooling apparatus disposed on the cover bearing the condenser can be multiple and provided with regulating means giving 'justable springs being provided to counter-balance the action of the atmospheric pressure on the supple membrane, and therefore on the re sistor.

An embodiment of the furnace, object of the invention, is represented as an example not in-- elusive c1? cases on the appended drawings. On these drawings:

Fig. 1 is a diagram of an axial, longitudinal section of the furnace;

Fig. 2 is a side view on a larger scale of the cover bearing the removable condenser;

Fig. 3 is an axial longitudinal section, also on a larger scale, of the compensated supple joint bearing the supply electrode on the side oppo site to the condenser.

As represented in this embodiment, the furnace according to the invention is. composed of a cylindrical reaction chamber. l,the axis of which is disposed horizontally, and the casing la of which is made of refractory materials. The cylindrical casing of this chamber is provided with. a charging and discharging orifice 2 closed by a door consisting of a stopper 3 mounted on a plate t held fast by nuts 5 which can be rapidly loosened. This plate 4 ensures atthe same time the tightening of a plastic joint 6 against a projecting frame I provided around the orifice 2.

The chamber l is provided externally with tracks 8a, 8b, which rest on rollers 95., 9b, and which permit giving it a revolving or oscillating movement around its axis.

At its ends, the reaction chamber 1 has two axial openings 10s, Hit, in which are disposed two blocks 0., Nb, made of graphite or any other similar material which serve as supports for a resistor i2 also made of graphite and mounted in the axis of the furnace; Instead of one resistor only, several could be provided, mounted near to the axis of the furnace. The blocks H8, lib act as an integral part of two hollow metallic electrodes I33, lilb provided at their free ends with metallic discs '43., Mb which dip into baths of liquid metal contained in tanks 5a l5h to which feeders 16a, its are connected, the said feeders being also connected to the supply mains of a source of electrical energy (not shown) Pipes lla, i'lb, penetrate into the electrodes i321, I3s, ensuring an internal circulation of cooling water.

A removable condenser it having a thin spherical metallic casing is set at one of the ends of the furnace. This condenser is set in the axis of the furnace and has an opening it which communicates through the opening ills with the interior of the reactionphamber. It is supported and maintained against the end of the furnace-provided with a hollow lb of appropriate shape in order to receive it--by a metallic cover provided with brackets 2i and fastening tightly by means of clamps 22 onto the front side of the furnace, A plastic lining 23, for example of rubber, ensures that the joint is tight. The cover supports moreover the corresponding hollow electrode i3. enclosed in an insulating sheath 24 and receives a tube 25 connected to charge of the various refrigerators 21-28 during the reaction. I

Of course, and as it has already been shown in what precedes, the invention is not limited in its .embodiments to the devices represented on the appended drawings. It is possible to give to the condenser a shape other than spherical, and

an apparatus producing a vacuum (not represented), this tube being protected by deflectors 26 conveniently disposed in the condenser. Water circulation tubes 21-28 provided with regulating taps and intended for therefrigeration of the condenser are mounted on the side walls of the cover,

The opening lot of the furnace, opposite to the condenser 18, is closed by a cover 29 (Fig. 3) fastened'to the' corresponding wall of the furnace. The cover 29 is prolonged externally by an undulated and supple membrane 30 which is soldered to it at one of its ends, the other end of it being soldered to a sleeve'ill fastened in a rigid and tight way onto the supply electrode [38. The joint thus constituted ensures a tight closing of the furnace, while still permitting the which might result. These springs bear atom as has been said above, the ensemble cover-condenser, can be set in any other part of the furnace, for example against the charging orifice 2, in order to act as a tight closing for that orifice, instead of the door constituted by the stopper 3 and the plate 4,

What I claim is:

1. An electric furnace for the manufactured condensableproducts, which comprises a furnace part of generally cylindrical shape and hollow within to provide a reaction chamber, said furnacepart being disposed with its axis substantially horizontal, means supporting said furnace part and mounting it for rotative movementabout said axis, electrode supporting means mounted axially at one end of said furnace part and in gas-tight relation therewith, an electrode end on stops 33 provided on rods 34 disposed around the electrode 12. and acting as an integral part of the cover 29, and at the other end on a disc mounted freely on the sleeve 3| but which props up against a fly wheel 36 screwed onto. the, said sleeve.

The degree of.

in said electrode supporting means, a housing detachably mounted in gas-tight relationship and in an axial position at the other end of said furnace part, electrode holding means axially mounted on said casing, an electrode therein, and a removable condensershell axially mounted within said casing, and in communication with said reaction chamber.

2. The structure claimed in claim 1 including means for exhausting said reaction chamber, said casing and said shell.

3. The structure claimed in claim 1 including means for exhausting said reaction chamber,

said casing and said shell, said electrodes hearing between them a resistance heating member adapted to extend across said reaction chamber in a substantially axial position.

compression of the springs 32 is modified by screwing the fly wheel)! more or less onto the sleeve 3| and it is thus possible to regulate their compensating action. j I

The furnace thus constituted works as follows.

for instance when it is used for the manufacture of magnesium:

The removable condenser 19 is well fitted into the hollow lb of the side of the furnace, in order to obtain a tight joint of the cover- 20. Then,

'having charged in advance, or only after the mounting of the condenser, the substances to be treated which consist for instance of a mixture of oxides of oxygenated alkaline earth compounds more or less rich in magnesium, and of reducing agents such assilicides, ferro-silicon etc. the desired degree of vacuum is establli'she'd in the reaction chamber'and the electric current is made to pass through the resistor i I2 and the whole furnace is set rotating. The va-' pors of magnesium which evolve from'the mass in reaction glow through the opening Ills and are 4. The structure claimed in claim 1 including means for exhausting said reaction chamber, said casing and said shell, said electrodes bearingbetween them a resistance heating member adapted to extend across said reaction chamber in a substantially axial position, said first mentioned electrode supporting means being mounted with respect to said furnace part in an axially movable manner, the gas-tight relationship being maintained by flexible metallic means permitting said axialmovement, and means in connection with said electrode supporting means to neutralize in part at least the inward thrust of the atmosphere on said electrode supporting means when said apparatus is exhausted.

' 5. The structure claimed in claim 1 including means for exhausting said reaction chamber, said casing and said shell, said electrodes condensed in the interior. of the condenser.

Whemit-is'desired to remove the condenser, the

, atmospheric pressure is reestablished in the, in-

terior of the reaction chamber, the tightenin clamps 22- are loosened, the cover 20 is removed from the furnace, which allows the removing of .the condenserlB in order fto collect the-condensed magnesium or proceed to a further"'treat-; ment ofit.

It is possibleto determine at will the zones of the condenser in which the deposit of the product is to take place, by modifying the disbearingbetween them a resistance heating member adapted to extend across said reaction chamber in a substantially axial position, said first mentioned electrode supporting means being mounted with respect to said furnace part in an axially movable manner, the gas-tight relationship being maintained by flexible-metallic means permitting said axial movement, means in connection with said electrode supporting means to "neutralize in part at least the inward thrust of the atmosphere on said electrode supporting means when said apparatus is exhausted, and

fluid coolingmeans in connection with saidhousing. M

ROGER LAMBERT. 

